Esme Purdie

Currently I am working on the TRAFFIC project, part of the cross-Research Council Environmental Exposure and Health Initiative (EEHI). My work is concerned with performing detailed chemical analyses of air polluting particles to  investigate their toxicity and sources, as relatively little is known about  the physiochemical characteristics of these particles or their biological activity. 

Particle size, composition and concentration vary according to emission sources,  atmospheric processes, secondary chemical reactions in the atmosphere, weather conditions and other factors.

I have previously also been involved in the London Low Emission Zone Study, a four-year study designed to assess  the impact of the London Low Emission Zone (LEZ) on the respiratory health of school children in East London.  The impact of the LEZ, with the aim of improving air quality by deterring the most polluting vehicles from  driving in the city, was assessed by conducting health assessments in 8-9 year-old children at selected schools  in Tower Hamlets and Hackney. The health assessment includes measurements of respiratory health, biomarkers of  exposure to traffic-related air pollution, genetic susceptibility to the effects of air pollution, and systemic  response to air pollution

Prior to my appointment within the ERG, I completed a PhD in Environmental Microbiology and Toxicology at  Dundee University in 2010, with a primary focus on natural toxins (e.g. algal/ cyanobacterial toxins), their  production, activity and potential bioaccumulation or trophic transfer within aquatic ecosystems.  Previous to this I completed a BSc (Hons) in Medical Biochemistry, at King’s College London University in 2004.